


time calls in a debt

by scatteredshowers



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Drabble, M/M, OT3, noneatall, sadfornoreason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7467663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatteredshowers/pseuds/scatteredshowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>steve owes time a debt</p>
            </blockquote>





	time calls in a debt

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [sea-cold, sea-cold it certainly is](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7426831) by [dirtybinary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtybinary/pseuds/dirtybinary). 



> So I’m reading this amazing ot3 fic by dirtybinary and it had that head canon where Steve is gonna live super long cause of the serum. So of course, because I don’t love myself, I started thinking “okay, sure. but what if it’s the opposite”.
> 
> I know NOTHING about science/biology, but I think I read somewhere that part of aging is that your cells start to not regenerate as exact copies as we age, and those cells being slightly different changes our appearance and functionality over time - hence aging. (This may be the totally wrong interpretation but work with me here.)
> 
> Now, Steve has a crazy metabolism, his cells recovering at an alarmingly fast rate. With this type of regeneration, these slight DNA errors in cell regeneration are gonna be happening at a higher rate than normal too. Pushing him to the inevitable faster rather than slower. He’s just burning too bright, too fast and it’s running his body down.
> 
> This note is longer than the actual story, tbh.
> 
> i'm on tumblr too: scatteredshowershere

Sam sees it first. He doesn’t recognize it for what it is, initially. He just thinks the weight of it - the world, the fight, the expectations - is pulling at him more than usual. But…no…Steve’s looking older now. The time he spent frozen and asleep catching up to him. Sam hugs him harder after missions, lets his worried gaze linger longer when Steve sighs bone deep as he sits and stands.

When Bucky gets out of cryo, he sees it right away. Feels it even. It’s been a little over a year they tell him, but Steve has aged at least five. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. The serum was supposed to be the reward. For the bent back and the struggling breaths. For the blurry vision and the aching joints. Steve was good. Better than good. How much is enough? How much does Steve have to sacrifice? He doesn’t go back into cryo after that.

And Steve? Steve is the last to notice. But it doesn’t change anything except the set of his jaw. He’s just more determined. If that's even possible. He’s used to this. His body betraying him. It’s nothing new. He’s never backed down from a fight.

Not then. Not now.


End file.
